Delta Airlines Books Partnership With DraftKingsSky Bets? Gambling Not Included, For Now |
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Delta Airlines announced a new partnership with DraftKings this week that will see the airline offer many of the online sportsbook and casino operator’s game options.
That doesn’t include betting or gambling opportunities for now. The deal instead looks to tap into Americans’ interest in mobile gaming by offering flyers more options as part of Delta’s integrated in-flight entertainment system.
“From fantasy sports to online adventures, gaming has become a regular part of the daily lives of millions of our customers, and you shouldn’t have to hit pause just because you’re in the sky,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said. “Our partnership with DraftKings will build on the games portfolio we already offer today via Delta Sync and our seatback screens while using the deep expertise that Jason [Robins, DraftKings co-founder and CEO] and his team have developed over the past decade.”
In-Flight Gambling?
Is this a move toward eventually allowing in-flight online casino gaming and sports betting? That remains to be seen but the Gambling Devices Act of 1962 makes gambling on U.S. flights illegal. However, that probably wouldn’t apply to international flights outside the country.
Adding in-flight casino gaming wouldn’t be unprecedented. In 1981, Singapore Airlines offered slot machines on a Singapore-to-San Francisco route for two months.
“They proved so popular that the machines in the back of the cabin caused egress and service issues, with too many passengers congregating,” the View from the Wing travel blog notes. “The lightweight machines that were selected (less weight means less fuel burn) weren’t sturdy enough either. In fact, all seven slot machines broke on their inaugural run. Singapore Airlines revisited the idea in the late 1990s.”
Seatback screens would be an easier medium for airlines to offer online gambling and alleviate space concerns. As airlines continue to search for more ways to maximize revenue, it doesn’t seem unlikely that Delta and other companies may look to move in this direction with beneficial partnerships. That may require the federal government to overturn the ban on in-flight gambling.
DraftKings is currently in the crosshairs of some senators who are seeking a federal investigation of the sportsbook’s relationship with FanDuel. The company has also dipped its toe into the online poker market with games in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
As any Las Vegas visitor knows, gambling in airports is already allowed. Sin City and Reno are the only airports in the country offering slot machine play. Since being installed in the Vegas airport in 1986, slot machines have generated more than $1 billion in revenue.
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